BEACHES
CHANIA PLATANIAS BEACH
Platanias is located 11 kilometers west of the city of Chania, just beside the highway to Kissamos and has 740 permanent residents. The village is built towards the shore and climbs amphitheatrically to the hills, from where the view is enchanting. The area of Platanias is the most touristically developed throughout the whole municipality, mostly because of its endless beach, its small distance from the main city, but also for its far-from-boring night life.
AGIA MARINA
Agia Marina is a fully developed seaside touristic resort, on the west of Chania. Do not miss the opportunity to see the small chapel of Santa Marina, from where the village borrowed its name, plus a very interesting cave with stalactites and stalagmites, called “Nerospilia”, 1.5 Km on the south.
AGIOI APOSTOLOI
7 kilometers west from the city of Chania, the beach of Agioi Apostoloi is located, that in fact are 3 sequential small bays with clean waters that are not affected by the wind breezes. The area is favored by the locals, because besides the beautiful sandy beaches, there are various athletic facilities there, as soccer, beach volley and racket courts, as well as the pine woods, that are ideal for walking and jogging.
AKROTIRI
Akrotiri is a sphere-shaped peninsula, at the east of the city. Location with rich history, various monuments and even more natural beauty. Many remarkable beaches are found there (as Stavros, Marathi), most of them protected by the strong winds that occur during the summer time.
FALASSARNA
Falassarna is an enormous sandy beach with crystal clear waters. Very often it is awarded by travel magazines and sites as the best beach in Europe, fact that is proved by the thousands of travelers visiting each summer. 55 kms from the city of Chania, makes the access rather easy. Just beside the beach, there are a few taverns where somebody can dine and watch the incredible sunset, as well as the ruins of the ancient city of Falassarna.
GAVDOS
Gavdos is a beautiful island on the South of Crete, with less than a hundred permanent residents. It is not only Greece’s, but actually the whole Europe’s southernmost. Someone can reach it only by boat from Sfakia, just 22 nautical miles away. The growth of touristic services there, is in basic standards, but that does not stop the hundreds of visitors each week. The legend has it that Gavdos was the island that Calypso kept Odysseus as a prisoner for seven years in order to make him her immortal husband, as mentioned in Homer’s writings.
SFAKIA
72 kms southeast from Chania, you can find Chora Sfakion, a small village with 278 permanent residents. The village is well known for the strong sense of its people for freedom and for the many battles given with all its potential conquerors. Sfakia is the starting point for visitors to catch a boat and visit the enchanting Loutro, as well as the one of a kind beaches of Marmara and Illigas.
FRAGOKASTELLO
Fragokastelo is located just a few kilometers away from Chora Sfakion, at the south coast of Western Crete. Famous for its Venetian castle, maintained in a very good condition, but also for its remarkable beaches, as Orthi Ammos, with its odd shaped sand hills. It is also famous for the phenomenon of Drosoulites, that is noticed at the end of every spring: During the sunrise, around the castle, human-like shadows that look like horse-riders, armed with weapons are appearing. According to local tradition, the shadows are the ghosts of the army, led by a local hero Hatzimichalis Dalianis who died in a battle against the Turks there..
PALAIOCHORA
Palaiochora is a picturesque town at the Southwest of Crete, located between 2 gulfs, with water coming from the Libyan sea. These 2 golfs have totally different character, as one has pebbles and rocks, while the other has an endless golden beach. Its central beach, in which the blue flag is waving invariably during the summer months, has earned every right to welcome each year thousands of voyagers, while all the rest of the beaches, like Pachia Ammos, Gialiskari, Grammeno and Krios satisfy the needs of all kinds of tourists. The nights in Palaiochora, the streets remain closed for vehicles, making the walks more enjoyable.
SOUGIA
Sougia is a small village by the sea side, at the south of the island, 70 kms from Chania. It is built at the exit of Agia Irini’s gorge and it is loved for its beautiful pebbly beach and for its relaxing and carefree atmosphere
BALOS
Balos is a lagoon located at the cape of Gramvoussa, which is the furthest point of the Southwest Crete, very near to Kissamos village. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches of the island, with its crystal clear water and the pink color of the sand. You may reach the beach either by boat from Kissamos, or by car through a non-asphalted road.
ELAFONISSI
Elafonissi is located 76 kms southeast from Chania. What makes this beach unique is the shallow depth of the waters that allow you to walk to the island, as well as the pink color of the water, created from the thousands of the shells that have been shuttered throughout the years.